National Skill Development Corporation’s ‘Skillathon’ to be kicked off from Mysuru

The National Skill Development Corporation’s (NSDC) “Skill on Wheels” programme, which seeks to provide information and guidance to budding entrepreneurs as well as employment seekers, will be kicked off from Mysuru on Monday.

Briefing the media here on Sunday, Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Ananthkumar Hegde said the programme, which will be held at 100 more centres across Karnataka in the coming days, will facilitate skill development, including in areas of new generation technology.

Mr. Hegde, however, sought to make it clear that the government will not be providing the training, but will rope in industry experts to train the manpower in the skills needed.

Suttur Mutt Seer Shivarathri Deshikendra Swamiji will inaugurate the Skills on Wheels programme, also called “Skillathon”, at Kalamandira in Mysuru on Monday in the presence of Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers H.N. Ananth Kumar.

Mr. Hegde, who held a round of discussion with entrepreneurs to understand the skill requirements of new generation business concepts, said the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras in the state will also be used to provide skill development programmes.

Ever since the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship was set up three and a half years ago, the union minister said a total of 1.5 crore persons had been trained in a variety of skills. However, the requirement for training is about 1.96 crore persons per year.

Citing a study, he said 67% of the present-day employment categories or sectors will not be relevant in the next 20 years. He recalled how computers, which were non-existent 30 years ago, were now a part of daily activities in almost all spheres of life.

Earlier during an interaction with entrepreneurs, Mr. Hegde said the Ministry would coordinate the skill development initiatives of the Union Government by ensuring supply of skilled manpower to the entrepreneurs, besides upgrading skills and developing new skills.

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